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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com